Title: Negotiating Love

Author: Cabouse18

Email: cabouse18@yahoo.com

Spoilers: None really but Janet is dead

Season/Sequel: Seven; sequel to "In too Deep"

Rating: PG-13

Content: Romance/Drama/Angst

Disclaimer: I still don't own them. So don't sue me

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first story. Hope you all like this one too. Be sure to give feedback, please!

Summary: Sam and Jack try to talk about their feelings but keep getting interrupted.

Part 1

It was another two weeks before Sam was able to leave the infirmary and go home. A week after that her father had finally managed to visit and heal the rest of her wounds. Unfortunately he had to leave shortly there after to return to the Tok'ra, but that was to be expected. Growing up she had seen so little of him that him being unable to stay with her now didn't surprise her in the least. The Tok'ra/Tauri relations were on the rocks and if he could save them, then that was where he needed to be. At least, she had resigned herself to that notion.

In the past she would have needed his comfort to help her get through something of this magnitude. But now she had SG-1 and one member in particular had seen her through the rough spots. While they had confessed their love for one another that was as far as it went. In fact, they hadn't talked about it at all. However, his actions the last two weeks spoke volumes to her. He had been the one to soothe her when she was plagued by nightmares, he had been there to listen when she needed to talk about them afterwards, hell he even took her home the day she was released and literally tucked her in. Yes, they may not have spoken about it but they definitely weren't ignoring it.

"Stupid" she muttered to herself as she attempted to catch up missed paperwork

"What's stupid?" he asked walking into the room

"Sir, you startled me"

"Yes I noticed that" he replied picking up an odd looking object that managed to catch his eye.

"Please don't play with that, sir" He put the object down and shoved his hands in his pockets. He often did that after she told him not to play with anything in her lab. It was his way of 'saying sorry' and that he wouldn't touch anything else. "Was there something you wanted sir?"

"No, just came to see what you were doing?"

"Daniel threw you out didn't he?"

"No, actually it was Teal'c this time. Said I needed something constructive to do"

"So you thought you would come and bother me, sir?"

It was a well known fact that if the team was on working stand down Jack was the first to be bored and bother everyone else. Usually she or Daniel got the royal treatment but for some reason today it was Teal'c.

"You say it like I have a disease, Carter"  

"Sir, I know you're bored"

"I'm not"

"Don't you have paper work?"

"Yes, but it's boring"

She just looked at him. He always came to her lab when he was bored or needed to copy one of her mission reports but in the last two weeks he seemed to be bothering everyone else first and then showing up. It was almost as if he needed to do it so he had an excuse to come see her.

"Sir, you only have two more days until SG-1 is put back into rotation"

"I'm just not allowed to come and see you?"

He'd said it so low she'd barely heard it.

"Then why do you come here last?"

"What?"

"It just seems like the last few weeks you bother everyone else and then come here as if you need an excuse to visit"

He had realized what he was doing a few days after it started, going to see everyone else and pissing them off just so he would have the opportunity to visit her without raising suspicion. The funny thing was he was probably raising more suspicions by not going to her lab like he used to.

"I'm sorry"

"You don't need to be sorry"

He was about to say something when Daniel came in

"Sam I was wondering if you wanted to go get lunch…oh hey Jack"

"Daniel"

Looking from Jack to Sam he suddenly got the feeling he'd interrupted something

"Is this a bad time?"

"No" they replied at the same time

He wasn't totally convinced, especially since they answered at the exact same time and so quickly. But he decided to ignore it "So, uh lunch?"

"Sure sir?"

"Why not"

He followed them out of the her lab feeling a little better that she wasn't mad at him while at the same time a little foolish for handling it the way he did.

To be continued…..